Jamaican Christmas Pudding for #SundaySupper

Any major holiday has me homesick. Not even so much missing Jamaica, but missing my family. I haven’t spent a Christmas in Jamaica in a decade. I’ll have to work on fixing that in years to come. Aside from the family gatherings, and holiday parties, I always look forward to the food. YES! The food!! The theme for today’s #SundaySupper is Holidays, Heritage and Traditions. Our wonderful host is Bea from Galactopdx. You’ll love the wonderful recipes being shared today!

Christmas time has always been a special time for families. Children get excited about gifts and everyone gets into the holiday spirit of giving. People also get into the kitchen and throw down! Yes, Christmas food is wonderfully made and is often done with much preparation. On Christmas Day, after church, we usually enjoy a big brunch – my Mom makes the BEST Ackee & Saltfish and Fried Dumplings ever. One of these days I’m going to try my hand at making fried Dumplings. Fried Breadfruit is another favourite thing to add to the list. Dinner is everything from Roast Beef, Ham, Roast Chicken, Smoked Chicken, Potato Salad, Moms special sweet and sour pork (this was only made at Christmas because Dad doesn’t eat pork. This was our time to experience it since we were almost pork-free {Bacon stays!}). Gungo Rice and Peas (Rice & Peas using Gungo Peas instead of Red Kidney Beans) is a must! Then there’s Rum Punch and Sorrel to wash it all down! To end the feast, look out for desserts like Sweet Potato Pudding, Bread Pudding, Cornmeal Pudding, and of course…Christmas Pudding or Christmas Cake.

Jamaican Christmas Pudding – fresh out of the oven

As I was mixing the batter, I had fond memories of my Dad’s baking. This was just like home. The wonderful aroma…me watching my father cut up the prunes, soaking all the fruits. And then baking day came. Our house smelled wonderful!

The original recipe called for additional items like dates, cherries, mixed peel and nuts. As a youngster, I remember not liking these things in christmas cake. I really do have a thing for texture. I can totally see why my kids are fussy with their food. It’s all my fault and I’m totally okay with that ~ sometimes. Since I was essentially making this to my liking, I just used the fruits I prefer. I bought a special jar just for soaking my fruits. Did you know that some people have their fruits soaking for months in advance in preparation for Christmas baking? We don’t play around when it comes to Christmas Cakes and Puddings.

Raisins, Currants and Prunes, soaking in rum and red label wine

Dad was the baker in the household so he always had Christmas cake to offer whenever friends stopped by or to give away. He doesn’t bake as much anymore, but was able to give me a few tips to help me along. Dad reminded me that blending the fruits before adding to the batter, gave the pudding a much nicer consistency. So that is exactly what I did. There will still be fruits left over to make another cake

Blended Fruits – 4 Cups

For the pan, I knew that I had to make the seal tight. I lined a baking tray with foil first. I then placed the bottom of the spring form pan on the baking sheet, then covered it with 2 layers of parchment paper. I then sealed the ring to the base so that the parchment was lining the pan and also allowed for it to be tight-fitting at the base so the batter couldn’t leak out. I hope I explained that properly. Here’s what I did!

Greased Spring Form Pan lined with Parchment Paper

Okay – So the recipe said to use a 9-inch pan. I wasn’t sure how much the pudding was going to rise and I didn’t want it to overflow. So I put 3/4 of the batter into the 9 inch spring form pan and the remainder in 9-inch square pan. Worked out perfectly. I baked the smaller cake for 2 hours. The next time I make this pudding, I will use a 10-inch pan instead. The pudding itself does rise, but as it cools it reduces. I wasn’t able to take a photo of it when it was almost at the top. I’ll know what to expect next time.

This was my first time steaming a pudding. This is essentially the difference between a pudding and a cake. The pudding has the boiling water directly underneath the batter in the oven, whereas this is omitted when baking the cake. Now I will definitely have to bake the cake and document the difference in texture and density.

Pudding Batter

The cake was still warm when I took the photos, but when the pudding was cooled, I put it back in the cake pan and added some rum. This will change the texture on the top just a little. Christmas cake/pudding tastes better after a few days, so let the rum work its magic.

Jamaican Christmas Pudding

This is certainly a slice of Jamaican perfection. It was so good ~ just like this.

A slice of Jamaican Christmas Pudding

But this is a Christmas Pudding.

We have to have both bells AND whistles. So I added an optional garnish for this awesome pudding. You have to sit down though, to eat it with the special treat.

It’s so good, it will make your knees tremble.

Jamaican Christmas Pudding with Hot Wine Sauce

Enid’s Christmas Pudding Recipe had an optional sauce to add to this already delicious treat. It’s very simple to make, and very easy to enjoy. I made one very slight change. (Lyn, you just couldn’t leave it alone, could you??) I don’t like too much nutmeg. So I used allspice instead.

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Hot Wine Sauce

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/3 Cup Unsalted Butter

1/2 Cup Red Label Wine

1/2 Tsp Allspice

In a saucepan, add wine and sugar over a low heat. Stir to combine. Add allspice and butter. Stir until fully combined, and pour over the cake – or individual slices.

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I swear, this pudding alone is like 40 minutes on the treadmill. But ’tis the season to be jolly… so keep the slices modest and don’t sit still for too long this holiday season! I hope you enjoyed my post today.

From my family to yours, Have a wonderful Christmas and Holiday season! I will be back after Christmas so take care of you!

Here are the wonderful recipes being shared by the #SundaySupper Family!

What does it mean for you to be Home for the Holidays? Please join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper on December 23rd. In the evening we will meet at 7pm EST for our #SundaySupper to talk about our Holiday Traditions. We are so excited to have you join us.

Thanks Bea! Jamaican cuisine is very comforting to me and keeps me connected. I’m so glad this pudding came out so well! Not bad for my first attempt lovelypantry recently posted..Jamaican Christmas Pudding for #SundaySupper

This is similar to the plum pudding my great grandmother brought from Ireland and was made every year by my grandmother. And served with wine sauce. Such a great recipe, I love it! Have a great Christmas Lyn!Paula @ Vintage Kitchen recently posted..Savory Crêpe Cake #SundaySupper

Thanks, Paula! I do believe this pudding is of European origin (probably England)- it was just Jamaican-ized over many many years. I’m not surprised that you are familiar with an Irish version. Anything similar will likely be just as delightful. Thank you for your comment and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!lovelypantry recently posted..Jamaican Christmas Pudding for #SundaySupper

Aw, I hope you can be with your family for one of the upcoming holidays! I’m glad you could bring some family memories to your kitchen with this wonderful Jamaican pudding…it looks so dense and delicious!!!! Merry Christmas to you, Lyn!!! xo

Hahahaa! Thanks Nioka!!! This was a wonderful success for me. Couldn’t have done it without my first choice cook book for Jamaican recipes – thanks to you!lovelypantry recently posted..Jamaican Christmas Pudding for #SundaySupper

Oh Lyn! Did you make this just for me??? Wow, wow, wow! The port wine soaked fruit and all the other ingredients. I’m drooling!! I seriously wish you were my next door neighbor. I’d be at your house all the time digging in to your fabulous food.

Oh I know how you are feeling Lyn, I haven’t seen Christmas and snow together in many years. Somehow I have trouble to remember all Christmas traditions that are common at home. Here in Goa Christmas is not the same at all. Jamaica must be much more fun!

Your Christmas pudding reminds me of the Goan Christmas rum cake that is so popular here. I can imagine it tastes amazing!

I Know what you mean about remembering traditions, Helene. I reached out to my parents and friends to remind me! LOL! Jamaican is fun no matter the time of the year, Family is what makes all the difference for me

There’s a Goan rum cake!!??? Helene, you must share! you just have to!

Awww, Lyn, I still live in the same city as my family and my Husband’s family so I don’t know what it feels like to be homesick during the holidays. I hope you were still surrounded by friends and family and could feast on delicious foods such as this! Your pudding looks incredible – so dense, moist and packed with flavour. I like the sound of that wine sauce too…some for the top of my pudding and some to sip out of a mug Happy holidays!Nancy @ gottagetbaked recently posted..Dorie’s Chicken in a Pot for #SundaySupper Home for the Holidays

Thank you so much for your kind words, Nancy. My hubby and kids are all I have really. So I make the very best of their awesome company, and make the time special for the kids. *Confession* I may have had a sip or 3 of the wine sauce…you know, for testing purposes (wink)

Hi Sarah! Perhaps this is the only time that rum and wine can get together in this manner. LOL! Its totally acceptable. I should clarify – I go home every year, just not Christmas. I’m counting down until my next visit! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!lovelypantry recently posted..Jamaican Christmas Pudding for #SundaySupper

Donna, I hope this “someone” really gets a chance to make this. It lasts for a long time so you don’t have to feel guilty about eating it all by yourself. Opps, I mean all by herself. lovelypantry recently posted..Jamaican Christmas Pudding for #SundaySupper

I love your Jamaican pudding and wish I have a slice with me! I hear you about not having family around for holidays. It’s quite lonely and quiet. For Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Eve… we get invited by friends but I really wish that we have our own big family to celebrate. Hopefully my children will have lots of kids one day and we can be one big family. At the same time I feel bad for not being home with my parents for New Years Day which is big celebration for us. Happy New Year to you and your family Lyn!Nami | Just One Cookbook recently posted..Kuri Kinton (Candied Chestnuts with Sweet Potatoes) 栗きんとん

Hi Nami! I’m glad you like my pudding. It was a big success for me, as it was my first time making it. Yay!
I know, major holidays are never really the same unless its with your own family. But still have fun, though. It is quiet but I’m thankful for skype and the good old telephone so that we can still spend a few precious moments

I know it isn’t christmas any more so it’s entirely the wrong time to make such a dessert. But I’m really intrigued by this recipe and might do a mini-version at some point. Could you please share the quantity of the additional ingredients – I’d like to add everything and see how it turns out. Thanks!Needful Things recently posted..Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Perfect All-American Chocolate Butter Cake

Thank You!! Lost my Enid Donaldson cookbook – a wedding gift – (Sniff) Trying to do for my kids what my mother did every Christmas for us, and so hard to keep it going! So glad to see you have the Christmas cake recipe here, AND the sauce I always wanted to try!!